By correspondent in Lagos.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has uncovered a massive smuggling ring after intercepting a cache of illegal and dangerous contraband valued at over N921 million at the Apapa Port, in a sweeping crackdown on organized transnational crime.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, disclosed during a high-stakes press briefing on Wednesday that between January and April 2025, operatives of the Apapa Command executed 11 interdictions, uncovering a disturbing mix of expired food items, unregistered pharmaceuticals, and restricted military-grade technology.
“These are not random seizures,” Adeniyi warned. “We are dismantling a sophisticated criminal network exploiting our borders to traffic hazardous products and security threats.”
Among the intercepted items were over 2,000 cartons of unregistered sexual enhancement drugs including hydra-sildenafil citrate, 60 unauthorized military drones, expired margarine concealed in shipping manifests, and telecommunications devices lacking mandatory end-user clearance.
Customs officials believe the smuggling operation is linked to international syndicates using Nigeria as a transit hub for counterfeit pharmaceuticals and restricted technologies. Many of the items, such as mislabeled skin creams hiding banned pills, were imported from countries with lax pharmaceutical export controls—pointing to deliberate regulatory evasion.
The seized drones and encrypted walkie-talkies, according to the Customs CG, pose a serious threat to national security, with intelligence suggesting potential use by insurgent or criminal groups. One intercepted container alone held 53 high-powered helicopter drones valued at over N2 million.
“The implications are dire,” said Dr. Olakunle Olaniran, NAFDAC’s Director of Ports Inspection. “We are looking at large-scale pharmaceutical fraud with the potential to harm thousands. These are falsified medicines entering our communities under the radar.”
Adeniyi confirmed that the seizures are part of an ongoing intelligence-led enforcement campaign that has already netted 22 narcotics-related interceptions in the first quarter of 2025. He credited inter-agency collaboration with NAFDAC, NDLEA, and the Office of the National Security Adviser as critical in identifying and neutralizing the threats.
In response, the Customs Service has increased surveillance across ports and borders, and declared restricted zones around five high-risk containers at Apapa. Authorities are urging the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious cargo through confidential channels.
“This is no longer just about smuggling,” Adeniyi concluded. “This is economic sabotage and a direct assault on public health and national security. We will continue to hunt down every individual and network behind this criminal enterprise.”
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
